The Best of Friends
by Chelra
Summary: What if Kiara had met Vitani instead of Kovu?
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first ever fanfic. I finally got up the courage to post something ;)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the lion king or any of the characters **

**Alright, let's say that instead of Kiara meeting Kovu she met Vitani.**

Chapter 1

Vitani was bored. She watched Zira training Kovu. She wished she was the chosen one. She was tougher than Kovu anyway, and with the special training Kovu was getting she would easily be able to overthrow Simba. But then Scar had chosen Kovu, and Vitani's training was pushed to the sidelines.

"Nuka!" called Zira. Vitani watched her brother stepped forward.

"Yes mother?" he asked.

"Show Kovu the Pridelands," she ordered. Vitani watched her brothers walk off. She decided to trail them. She had never been to Look-out point, a small mountain which had incredible view over the Pridelands. She crept alongside them. They walked in silence, until Nuka spotted a mouse. As he tried to catch it, Kovu began to sneak off. Vitani ran over to cut him off.

"Where are you going Kovu?" she asked.

"Nowhere."

"Well you should be going to Look-out point. Go on then!" she said snidely. Kovu glowered at her and walked back to Nuka.

Vitani turned and ran off towards the lake. Now she had blown her cover she couldn't follow them anymore. She stopped by a long log which led to the Pridelands. She could hear something coming down it. Or, more accurately rolling down it. Vitani jumped to the side as a pretty lion cub landed in a heap on the floor.

"Who are you?" demanded Vitani.

"I," said the lion cub in a prissy voice, "am Princess Kiara. Vitani looked at her.

"And what is your name?" asked Kiara.

"I'm Vitani."

"Do you live here?" asked Kiara. Vitani nodded. "Cool!" said Kiara. Vitani walked over to the lake and pointed.

"Do you see that rock?" Kiara nodded. "Would you jump on it?"

"I could try," said Kiara, a little bit confused.

"Don't" said Vitani turning to face her. "It's a crocodile."

Kiara smiled. "Wow, I would never have guessed that it was a crocodile!" A mouse scuttled past.

"Can you catch mice as well?" asked Kiara.

"Of course!" said Vitani.

"Prove it!" cried Kiara. Vitani smirked. She got low to the ground and crept towards the mouse. She pounced, caught it in her paws and swallowed it whole. "Cool," said Kiara.

Vitani grinned.

"You know what? I think we're going to be friends," she said.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own the lion king or any of the characters **

Kiara snuck back into the Pridelands and looked around. It seemed deserted. She ran to Pride Rock, and almost bumped into Nala.

"Hello Kiara! Where have you been today?" she asked.

"Just exploring Mum," said Kiara, walking into the cave. She saw Sarafina and Sarabi talking. She ran over to them and settled down next to them. She could hear them talking.

"Simba says the Outlanders have been very quiet," said Sarabi.

"You don't think they're planning something do you?" asked Sarafina.

"I hope not," said Sarabi, but she was clearly worried.

Kiara thought over what they had said. _Vitani is an Outlander! Maybe I should ask her! She seems clever, I bet she knows. I'll go back tomorrow. _Having decided this Kiara fell asleep.

Vitani woke up early as usual the next morning. She ran out of the cave and almost ran into Nuka.

"Where are you going squirt?" he asked.

"I'm going out," she said. She dodged round him and, after checking she wasn't being followed, ran to the lake.

She sat down and began to wait. After a little while she heard Kiara running down the log.

"Vitani!" Kiara burst into view.

"Kiara, you came!" said Vitani grinning.

"Of course I did! After all, I've got no one else to play with!" said Kiara. "I've been looking forward to seeing you! Oh, anyway I had a great idea! You should come into the Pridelands, and I could get you some food!"

"Really?" asked Vitani, her eyes wide. Kiara nodded eagerly.

Kiara led Vitani up the log and they jumped onto the Pridelands. "Wow," whispered Vitani. "It's so… lush." Kiara tried to see the Pridelands through Vitani's eyes. Kiara had never appreciated the Pridelands more than she did at that moment. "Can you hear something?" asked Vitani. She was staring at the tall grass. Kiara shook her head. Vitani crept forward and leapt into the grass. She turned back to Kiara, a mouse in her mouth, and swallowed it whole.

"Even the mice are fatter here!"

"Do you want to play tag?" asked Kiara.

"Sure," said Vitani.

She quickly tagged Kiara, and then she ran off. Kiara chased after her. She dodged into the tall grass. Vitani burst out the other side and looked around. She scrabbled up a tree and hid.

Kiara sprang out of the grass and looked around.

"Where are you?" she called. Vitani stayed very quiet. Kiara looked around. "I give up!"

"I'm up here!" said Vitani. Kiara looked up at her.

"How did you get up there?" she asked.

"I climbed," answered Vitani.

Kiara was about to say something when she heard someone call her name. Nala appeared, and Vitani shrunk back.

"Kiara, we need to have a talk with you," she said. Kiara, glanced up at Vitani, and then walked off with Nala.

Vitani sighed. She jumped down and ran to the Outlands.


	3. Chapter 3

**I'd like to thank all those who have reviewed, it's really appreciated. :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the lion king or any of the characters :(**

Chapter 3

Kiara and Nala were walking slowly towards Pride Rock.

"Kiara," began Nala, "where do you keep going during the day?"

"Like I said before, just exploring," said Kiara.

"You're not going to the Outlands are you?" asked Nala suspiciously.

"Why would I want to go there? Dad says I should never go there," said Kiara. Nala scowled at her.

"Stop avoiding the question!" snapped Nala.

"Sorry," said Kiara. "I played in the Pridelands." This wasn't an actual lie, because she _did_ play in the Pridelands, but she _also_ went into the Outlands, but not for very long. Nala still didn't look very happy, but she didn't say any more.

The next morning Kiara trotted out of the cave and looked around. She could see that Nala was watching her, so she ran towards the watering hole. When she was out of sight of Pride Rock she doubled back and headed towards the log. Vitani was already waiting by it.

"Hey Kiara!" said Vitani. Kiara smiled at her. They walked into the Pridelands, and wandered aimlessly towards the gorge. The wildebeest were charging threw it.

"Wow, look how fast they are!" said Kiara in awe. The two cubs crept towards the thundering creatures. Huge dust clouds were rising into the air. They climbed onto a rock and watched them in awe, until Kiara leaned forwards and slipped. Vitani grabbed her tail, and pulled Kiara to safety.

"That was close, you need to be more careful," said Vitani, shaking her head.

"You sound like my dad!" chuckled Kiara, "but thanks."

"Kiara!" They could hear a voice calling her.

"Oh man, Dad's gonna flip! He has this weird phobia about gorges. We better go," said Kiara. They ran out of the gorge. Kiara smiled weakly at Vitani, and then ran towards Pride Rock. Vitani slunk off towards the Outlands.

Kiara slowed down as she approached Pride Rock. She saw Simba and trotted over to him.

"Hi Dad, I heard you calling me," she said.

"Kiara! Are you alright?" he asked anxiously.

"Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?" she asked innocently.

"There was a stampede. You sure you're okay?" Kiara nodded, and turned to go.

"Wait Kiara, your mother spoke to me. She says she's a bit worried about you. You keep disappearing."

Kiara thought for a moment, trying to come up with a suitable excuse.

"I'm just exploring Dad. I bet that's what you did when you were younger," said Kiara.

"Yeah, but I almost got myself killed several times."

"Well Dad, I'm more careful than you," said Kiara, but then she thought of when she almost fell into the stampede, "Well...I'm not any less careful than you."

"Alright then, just as long as you avoid the Outlands." Simba turned and walked away. Kiara squirmed awkwardly. She didn't like lying to her parents, but it was necessary if she wanted to stay friends with Vitani. She sat look around. The sun was going down, and all the lions were in the cave. She padded into the cave and curled up by her mother.

Simba wandered over a while later.

"Have you heard anything new about the Outlanders?" asked Nala.

"No. I wish I knew what they were thinking. They haven't done anything major for ages. They've taken a couple of antelope, but no more than usual. Slightly less actually. I wish I knew. He lay down next to Nala.

_Oops, I forgot to ask Vitani about what the Outlanders are planning. Tomorrow. I will. Definitely, _thought Kiara.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello, sorry this took ages! Thanks to everyone who's reviewed, it's really appreciated.**

Chapter 4

Kiara met Vitani the next morning.

"Vitani, are the Outlanders planning something?" asked Kiara immediately, before she could forget. Vitani looked at Kiara for a minute, thinking. She knew the Outlanders didn't have any plans that were going to happen imminently, they were just focussing on training Kovu, and she wasn't sure whether that counted or not.

"Why?" she said finally.

"Well, my dad says you, I mean the Outlanders, are being suspiciously quiet, and we think you're planning something," said Kiara.

"Well, I don't know anything," said Vitani slowly.

"Oh, ok," said Kiara. Kiara turned to climb back up the log, and Vitani followed her. They sat on a small rock. However, after only a few minutes Vitani's ears pricked up.

"What was that?" she asked. Kiara listened carefully. She could hear something crashing its way through the undergrowth towards her.

"Hide!" she hissed to Vitani. Vitani looked around for a suitable hiding place, but there were none. Sighing, Vitani took a deep breath and slipped into the small pond that was next to the rock. After seeing Vitani successfully hidden, Kiara tried to relax. She breathed deeply to calm herself, just as Timon and Pumbaa burst out of the grass.

"Princess!" cried Timon. "There you are!" Kiara groaned quietly.

"You are needed at Pride Rock," said Pumbaa. Kiara groaned loudly.

"But why?" she whined.

"Official royal business, Princess," said Timon. Kiara trailed slowly after them. With a gasp Vitani re-emerged from the water. She sucked in air. She was glad they had left when they did; she wasn't sure how much longer she could have held her breath for. It was still frustrating though. Now Vitani would have to find something else to do. She caught a mouse, and wasted time wandering around the area. Eventually, she accepted that Kiara wouldn't be coming back that day.

Vitani slunk back into the Outlands. As she was heading towards the cave where the Outlanders lived, she realised someone was following her. Without slowing down she sniffed the air. It was Kovu. She sighed slightly, and started to move faster. She quickly ducked round a corner, and waited. Kovu ran past, and Vitani stuck out a paw and tripped him up. Kovu landed on his face with a _thump_. Vitani stood in front of him, eyebrows raised, waiting for an explanation. Kovu got to his feet and shook off the worst of the dust that now covered him.

"Oh, um, hi Vitani," he said.

"Why were you following me?" she asked.

"I was not following you!" Kovu said. He fidgeted slightly.

"Kovu, don't lie to me," said Vitani.

"I'm not!"

"Then why were you sneaking around?"

Kovu opened his mouth, but was unable to find an answer. He simply shook his head, muttered a good bye, and ran off. Vitani rolled her eyes. Kovu was a terrible liar. She walked slowly after him. She knew she should keep an eye on him, as he was the Chosen One and all. And besides, if something happen to him Zira would go mental. So, it was best for everyone if she just made sure he was alright. _Although, _thought Vitani, _how much trouble could Kovu get into on the short walk to the cave?_

As it turns out, it's a lot.

Vitani rounded a rock when she saw Kovu leaping onto a rock. Of course, Vitani knew it wasn't a rock. She groaned. Kovu glanced towards her.

"Kovu get off that rock!" she called to him.

"Why?" he asked.

"Because-" just then the rock reared up, and Kovu fell into the water. "It's a crocodile..."

**Ooh... a cliff hanger!!!**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

**Sorry it's late; I've just been swamped with school work. I still don't own the Lion King.**

Vitani watched in horror as Kovu fell into the crocodile-infested water. Kovu yelped, and swam towards a rock. Vitani ran forwards, and leapt onto the crocodile's mouth, snapping its mouth shut. Kovu managed to reach the rock, and he climbed onto it, shaking. Seeing that Kovu was safe for now, Vitani focussed on her own situation: she was standing on a crocodile. It reared and bucked, trying to throw her off. She clung on, digging her claws into the crocodile's scaly armour. She couldn't hold on forever, and Vitani could feel her grip slipping. Then the crocodile bucked wildly, and Vitani let go. She used the momentum to propel herself towards the land.

Vitani landed with a thump. But Kovu was still in danger, and leaping onto the crocodile had only bought him a few seconds. She knew she couldn't do much to help him, so she roared as loudly as she could. After what seemed like ages, Zira burst into view, followed by several lionesses and Nuka.

The lionesses immediately started to distract the crocodiles while Zira dived in to save Kovu. Vitani was worried; even a lion can't take on a crocodile in a fight and win. Zira picked up Kovu, swam to shore, and whacked a crocodile on the nose for good measure.

Vitani started to back away as Zira dropped Kovu on the ground. She could tell that Zira was about to explode. Sure enough, Zira turned to Kovu and snarled,

"WHAT were you doing?"

"Uh...well, I jumped on a rock, but it was a crocodile-"

"And you can't tell the difference between a rock and a CROCODILE! Have I taught you nothing?!?!"

"Um...well..." he mumbled. Zira whacked Kovu on the head, and then turned to Vitani.

"And you let him? Surely you realised it was a crocodile?"

"I did..." said Vitani quietly, still trying to edge away.

"And you decided not to tell him? Thought it would be funny?" asked Zira angrily.

"Of course not!" said Vitani indignantly. She shut her mouth quickly, instantly regretting her outburst. Zira growled at her and raised her paw threateningly.

"Mother, please," said Kovu. "It wasn't Vitani's fault..." he trailed off slowly, and started to creep away, as Zira fixed her furious glare on him.

"No... I suppose it wasn't," said Zira slowly. Vitani sighed with relief.

"It was Nuka's fault!" roared Zira. "You were supposed to be watching him!" Vitani felt a twinge of pity for Nuka, but she mainly felt relieved. She backed away slowly, and as soon as she was far enough away, she turned and quickly slipped away.

~##~

Kiara walked slowly to Pride Rock with Timon and Pumbaa. Timon was talking about something, but Kiara wasn't listening. She was trying to work out what this _official royal business_ was. She was getting older; maybe she was going to learn more about ruling the Pridelands. Timon and Pumbaa lead her to Nala and walked off.

"Hi Mum," said Kiara. "What's the _official royal business_ then?"

"Hi honey," said Nala. "I'm not sure what Timon has told you, but it's not 'official royal business'. I just wanted to have a quick word with you."

"About what?" asked Kiara suspiciously.

"Well, you are getting older; you'll be fully grown soon. I just wanted to fill you in on the coming of age ceremony; it will be in a week or so. You will need to hunt on your own. You have to catch something, it doesn't really matter what, so long as it's proper prey," said Nala.

"Okay Mum," said Kiara. She turned away from her mother and wandered towards the watering hole. When she caught sight of a mouse, Kiara decided to practice. She flattened herself to the ground and crept towards it. Taking a deep breath she pounced. Kiara looked at her paws and realised, slightly disappointingly, that she had missed. _I should probably ask Vitani for some help on this_, she thought, standing up. Glancing up at the sky and the sun's position, she decided that it was probably too late to go back and see Vitani; she was sure Vitani had better things to do than wait by that rock all day. With a small sigh she started to walk, not paying attention to where she was going. Kiara soon found herself at the edge of the Outlands. Glancing around her, to check that no one could see, she slipped into the Outlands.

Kiara wasn't sure why she had gone into the Outlands. She had a vague notion of finding Vitani, but how she was going to do that, she didn't know. If Kiara had been concentrating on her surroundings, she would probably have noticed that she was being trailed. She was walking through the Outlands, oblivious to the lion following her. After a few minutes, Kiara realised she was lost. _Great, _she thought dryly, _now I'm lost in the Outlands, probably the most dangerous place for me to be_. She sat down, trying to work out which way to go to get back to the Pridelands. Suddenly, a small brown blur leapt out of the dusty undergrowth, knocked her over and pinned her to the ground. Kiara looked up at this scary lion cub. Kovu growled at her.

"What are you doing here, Pridelander?" he spat.

"Uh...going for a walk..." said Kiara hesitantly.

"Here? In the Outlands?" he scoffed.

"Um...yeah."

"Well you're trespassing, so I'm going to have to kill you." Kiara squeaked at these words. Then Kovu looked up, having heard something.

"Don't be so dramatic. Kovu, get off her," said a cold, yet familiar, voice.

"Vitani?" asked Kiara quietly. Vitani shot Kiara a warning glance, but Kovu hadn't heard.

"Why? She's a Pridelander," said Kovu, not moving.

"Yes, and she's also the princess, so unless you want Simba to rip off your head, I'd advise you get off her."

Still glaring at Kiara, Kovu moved, and let her get up. Kiara sprang to her feet, and scurried away from Kovu. "And you," said Vitani, turning to Kiara. "I suggest that you should get back to the Pridelands." Vitani gave a tiny jerk of her head, gesturing which direction Kiara should go in. Kiara mouthed "thanks" at Vitani, and sped off.

"I can't believe you let her go," said Kovu quietly. Vitani turned to him, and said patronisingly;

"You are supposed to kill Simba, aren't you?" Kovu nodded. "Exactly, when you are older and fully trained. But if you had harmed his daughter, he'd come and kill you. And not even the _mighty Kovu_ could defeat a lion four times his size."

Kovu gave a sigh of defeat, and Vitani knew she had won.

**There it is...do you like it? Reviews are always welcome.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Okay...I know it's been ages...I'm really, really sorry!! I hope you like it. Thanks for the reviews and alerts and favourites!! They cheer me up so much!!**

Chapter 6 

Kiara hurried back to the Pridelands, glancing over her shoulder to check if she was being followed. She was feeling shaken up: she'd never seen a lion like that, a lion that hated her so much, simply because she lived in the Pridelands. When she crossed the border into the Pridelands, she sighed with relief. The sun was just setting as Kiara ran towards Pride Rock. She paused outside the cave, and took a deep breath, and then quietly slipped inside. She glanced around, spotted her parents and trotted over to them.

"Hey Mum, hi Dad," she said, curling up next to Nala.

"Hey honey, where'd you run off to?" asked Nala.

"Nowhere special," Kiara lied, slightly surprised at how easy it was. Nala seemed to accept the lie, and they settled down to sleep.

~##~

The next morning, Kiara woke up, feeling slightly apprehensive about going to the Outlands. _I'm sure it will be fine_ she told herself. _Just so long as I don't go off by myself again_. Even so, she dawdled on her way to the meeting point. Vitani was waiting impatiently.

"Uh, hi Vitani," said Kiara nervously, looking around. Vitani sensed her friend's discomfort.

"If you're worried about that lion cub from yesterday, don't be. He's not here, he's got things to do," said Vitani. Kiara relaxed.

"Alright then. So, what do you want to do?" she asked. Vitani shrugged.

"Oh, I know," said Kiara, "would you mind teaching me to hunt?"

"Sure. Any reason in particular you want to learn?" asked Vitani.

"I've got a coming of age ceremony soon, and I've got to do a hunt by myself," answered Kiara. Vitani nodded, and they walked into the Pridelands. Vitani decided to start with sniffing out prey first. That was easy, since all lions have a good sense of smell, and Kiara got the hang of it quickly. The next step was to stalk the prey. Kiara, having chosen a mouse to hunt, crept through the grass, as quietly as she could. Unfortunately, she was unused to sneaking and being quiet, and she was as loud as a stampeding wildebeest, which amused Vitani very much. The mouse ran away, and Kiara turned to Vitani, who was giggling.

"I can't do this!" she whined. Vitani rolled her eyes,

"Well, you've got to actually be quiet you know."

"I was!" protested Kiara. Deciding it wasn't worth arguing about; Vitani showed Kiara how to do it properly. After several tries, Kiara finally caught a mouse. She let out a cry of triumph, not realising that this would attract attention.

Nala, who was relaxing in the sun nearby, heard her daughter's joyful shout, and decided to see what the fuss was about. She trotted over to her daughter, and asked her what happened. Kiara turned to her, a look of shock and nervousness on her face.

"Oh...w-well I, uh, caught a mouse..." she stammered. Nala was about to ask her what was wrong, when a strange scent seized her attention.

"What's that?" she muttered. Then her eyes widened. "Outlander!" she hissed.

Vitani, who had been creeping away as quietly as possible, froze. Nala's gaze swept over the area, passing over Vitani. Vitani resumed her slow, silent, sneaking away. Nala roared.

"Mum?" asked Kiara quietly.

"Go back to Pride Rock," Nala hissed. Kiara turned and ran towards Pride Rock. Vitani was terrified. Nala snarled. Vitani glanced behind her; she could see the dreariness of the Outlands. Just a few more metres, she could do it.

Nala was sniffing the air, trying to work out where the intruder was, but the smell of the Outlands was too strong, and she couldn't pinpoint the Outlander. Frowning she looked over the area again and flicker of movement caught her eye. She leapt, and landed in front of Vitani. She was slightly surprised to see a cub, but shook that off. This cub was still an Outlander.

"Why are you in our lands?" hissed Nala, baring her teeth. Vitani's cocky side kicked in, and she glared up at the lioness.

"I was hungry because there's no food in the Outlands. But I supposed you'd rather I starve to death than trespass on your precious land. And you say we're the bad ones, but you're the one condemning cubs to starvation."

Nala was taken aback by this. _Are we really starving those cubs?_ She asked herself. Vitani took advantage of Nala's lapse in concentration and ran to the Outlands. _Pridelanders, _she thought, smirking, _so gullible. _

**So...did you like it? Please review. And sorry again for being so late with updating ;)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey. Thanks for the reviews! And I think I've been forgetting to do this but: I do not own the Lion King.**

Chapter 7

Kiara was sitting on Pride Rock, looking out, trying to spot Nala. She was worried, and wanted to know what had happened to Vitani. Then she saw Nala, walking towards Pride Rock.

"Mum!" she yelled, running down to meet her. "What happened?"

"Nothing." Nala walked into the cave. Kiara looked at her mother curiously. What had happened? Was Vitani alright? But something about Nala made Kiara keep her mouth shut.

"Kiara," said Nala, turning to face her. "I don't want you wandering off on your own anymore." Kiara opened her mouth to protest, but Nala cut her off. "Kiara, this isn't open to debate."

~##~

A week passed by agonisingly slowly for Kiara. She had to do some hunting practice, but she wasn't allowed to do much else, as she was followed everywhere by Simba, Nala, or Timon and Pumbaa. When the day of her coming of age ceremony came, she woke up early. She was excited; today she would be able to go hunt by herself, and hopefully she would be able to see Vitani. It seemed like ages since she had seen her best friend. She walked out of the cave and gazed at the sun rise. She must have fallen asleep, because the next thing she knew she was being gently woken up by Nala.

It was late morning by that time. All the lionesses were assembled near the base of Pride Rock. Simba and Nala sat on the end, and Kiara walked between the two rows of lionesses to them.

"Daddy," she said seriously. "You'll let me do this on my own right?"

Simba nodded, and Kiara smiled. She glanced around Pride Rock, and then ran off to find something to hunt. When she was gone, Simba turned to Timon and Pumbaa.

"Follow her, make sure she's alright."

~##~

In the Outlands, Zira called Vitani and Nuka to her.

"I have a special job for you two," she said. Nuka nodded eagerly, and Vitani rolled her eyes at how pathetic he was. "Simba's daughter is hunting in the land near us. I need you to set fire to it." Vitani stifled a gasp. She had to set fire to the Pridelands? Kiara could die! She walked slowly out of the cave.

"Come on Vitani, we've been given a special job!" said Nuka. Vitani nodded slowly, and the two of them ran to the Elephant Graveyard. They set two sticks on fire, and ran to the Pridelands.

~##~

Kiara was creeping up to a herd of antelope. She lay flat on the ground and examined the antelope herd, trying to pick a suitable target. Ah-ha, there: an old, weak looking antelope, which was slightly apart from the rest of its herd. _Perfect,_ she thought. She crept towards it, body flat to the ground, her eyes fixed on it. But then she tripped over a rock, and every antelope looked towards her, and fled. She moaned quietly, and gave chase. The antelope had settled again, and she tried once more to sneak towards them. This time she looked at the ground, making sure there weren't any rocks. She stepped over a rock, and glanced up, she was getting very close to the antelope. However one of her back paws caught the rock, and the antelope ran off again. Growling with frustration, she ran after them. As she chased them, she spotted two familiar figures hiding in the grass.

"Timon, Pumbaa, what are you doing here?" she said, trying to stay calm, only her tail flicking irritably showing her anger.

"Oh! Princess! We were just, uh, looking for grubs," Timon said hastily.

"Father sent you to follow me didn't he," she said, more to herself than them. Timon and Pumbaa glanced at each other. "He promised I could do this by myself!"

"But Princess, he doesn't want you to get hurt," said Timon.

"Well, I'm going to hunt by myself whether he wants me to or not! Even if I have to go away from the Pridelands!" she cried determinedly. She turned and ran, Timon and Pumbaa tried to follow her, but she was too fast. Soon she was near the edge of the Pridelands.

~##~

Nuka and Vitani, who had been sitting on a hilltop, watched Kiara run down another hill. Vitani's face was blank, but inside her thoughts were in turmoil. _What should I do? I can't disobey Mother, but I can't let Kiara die either! What should I do?_ Next to her, Nuka was bouncing with excitement.

"Come on!" he cried. "Let's go!"

The two of them ran down the hillside, and started to set the grass on fire. Vitani was disgusted when she realised how much she was enjoying it. It wasn't her fault; she'd just been raised that way. She looked to see what Nuka was doing, and noticed with amusement that he had made a circle of fire around himself, and was trapped. He leapt out of it, and started to laugh hysterically. He was seriously unhinged. With a roll of her eyes, she turned to see if she could spot Kiara. _Maybe she's gone back to Pride Rock, maybe she's by the lake_, thought Vitani desperately. She started to run in the direction Kiara had gone. Nuka didn't notice her running off, and continued to cackle.

Vitani raised her head and sniffed, trying to catch Kiara's scent. Luckily, the wind was on her side, and she dashed off on the right path. Soon enough she saw Kiara, crouched down, trying to catch an antelope.

"Kiara!" Vitani shouted, racing towards her. Kiara turned and when she saw who it was, grinned.

"Vitani, it's so good to-"

"No time for that," interrupted Vitani. "There's a fire and you need to get out of here." The smile slid off Kiara's face. Kiara opened her mouth to say something, but Vitani cut her off. "Listen, it's been great to see you, but I really must get out of here, and you should too, unless you want to be burned to death." Vitani turned and ran, and quickly disappeared from view.

"Fire?" Kiara said to herself. "I should get to the lake, it will be safest there." She looked around trying to work out where she was. "But...where am I?" She looked around once again. She didn't recognise anything.

Then the ground started shaking. A huge herd of animals was charging down the hill. There were antelopes, wildebeest, birds, monkeys, elephants, and a cheetah. They were running straight at her. _They probably know where the lake is_, Kiara thought. _I'll follow them._ The first few animals passed her, and then she joined the group, charging along with them. Plants, bushes and even trees were being crushed by the stampede of terrified animals. Kiara glanced behind her, and saw smoke and a red haze coming from behind the hill. Then she smelt a whiff of smoke. This motivated the animals to run even faster, and soon enough they reached the lake. Kiara dived in, and sighed with relief. She was safe. _I hope Vitani's okay, _she thought.

~##~

Vitani slipped into the Outlands. She slowed down from her run, and settled on a fast walk. She reached the cave and strolled in. Zira walked up to her.

"It has been done, Mother," said Vitani bowing her head.

"Where's Nuka?" asked Zira, narrowing her eyes. Vitani's head snapped up, her eyes wide with surprise.

"N-nuka?" she stuttered. "He's not here?"

"What happened?" snarled Zira, her eyes filled with rage.

"We got split up, I thought he'd come back here..." said Vitani.

"He's not still in the Pridelands is he?" Zira roared angrily. She called the lionesses to her and they set off in search of Nuka.

"Very nice Vitani," came a voice from behind her. She whirled round.

"Kovu," she spat.

"Well done, you failed a simple mission," he said, smirking. Vitani growled at him.

"It's not my fault. He's older than me, I shouldn't have to look after him!" protested Vitani.

"Vitani, denial doesn't sound good on you," Kovu said, and then he chuckled. Vitani leapt at him, knocking him to the ground. The smile disappeared off his face, and was replaced with a scowl. "You honestly think you can beat me? After all the training I've had?" He stood up and knocked her flying. Vitani landed in a heap on the floor. She leapt to her feet, and growled,

"I don't have time for this. I'm going to find Nuka." She hurried out the cave. Kovu stood there, his smirk firmly back in place, before strolling leisurely after her.

**Wow, this was my longest chapter ever, WOOOO!!!!!!!! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it, and please review! And I'll try and update more regularly but I might be a bit slow for a little while, as it's the last day of my holiday tomorrow –sob-, and I'll be back in school, and there will be HOMEWORK. **


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello, it's me again, back with chapter 8! I know it's been ages –hangs head in shame- I wrote the first part of this chapter ages ago, but then I lost my inspiration. I hope you enjoy it. Also, I'd like to thank PerryRocks for giving me an idea for this chapter. **

**You guys should also check out this forum called **** and it is great because it has lots of threads on all different aspects of fanfiction.**

**I do not own the Lion King.**

Chapter 8

Simba was pacing anxiously on Pride Rock. Zazu sat on a nearby rock, trying to calm Simba down.

"Simba, I'm sure she'll be fine," said Zazu, soothingly.

"But what if she hurts herself? Or gets lost?" asked Simba.

"Well, you did send Timon and Pumbaa to follow her, so they will look after her," said Zazu. At that moment, Timon and Pumbaa ran onto Pride Rock.

"Where's Kiara?" Simba asked immediately.

"Well...she was fine when we saw her," said Timon slowly. Simba raised an eyebrow questionably. "She realised we were following her and ran away." Simba groaned. He glanced out at the Pridelands again, hoping to see some sign of Kiara. Instead he saw a plume of black smoke in the distance. His eyes widened in horror, and then he was sprinting towards the smoke.

~##~

After leaving the cave Vitani hurried after the scent of the other lionesses. However, it was soon drowned out by the smoke. Coughing slightly, Vitani struggled on through the smoke, but it was choking her, her eyes were stinging. Suddenly, through the smoke she saw the other lionesses. She could hear them calling Nuka. They were looking around desperately. She stumbled forwards, and Zira turned to her.

"Mother?" asked Vitani, trying not to swallow the smoke.

"Vitani!" hissed Zira. "this is all your fault!"

"What? But-"

"Nuka's gone because of you!" roared Zira.

"No! It's not my fault!" protested Vitani. Zira raised her paw to strike her, but she leapt back.

"Just get out of my sight," said Zira, her voice filled with ice. Vitani turned and ran.

~##~

Simba ran through the Pridelands, heading towards the smoke. Zazu flew overhead, and Timon and Pumbaa were trying, but failing, to keep up with them. Simba was going out of his mind with worry. He'd always been paranoid that something would happen to Kiara, and now it seemed that his worst nightmare was coming true. He pressed on faster, now he could smell the smoke.

He paused he entered the area that was on fire. Looking around he saw a path through the trees and bushes, clearly created by stampeding animals. He followed the path, dodging falling trees, hoping to find Kiara or someone who knew where she was. Then the path widened out, and he was at the lake. Many animals were taking refuge in it. He looked around, and quickly caught sight of Kiara. He hurried over to her, and after checking she was alright, the two of them headed back towards Pride Rock.

~##~

Vitani sat alone in the Outlands. Zira had exiled her from the pride because she blamed Vitani for Nuka's dea-no, he wasn't necessarily dead, just missing. Vitani wouldn't accept that. Nuka was alive, he had to be alive. Vitani found herself wandering through the Outlands. She was about to turn back when she heard a howl. She caught a whiff of something strange, something she had never smelt before. She turned towards the strange scent, and then she heard a howl. Whatever it was out there, it sounded dangerous.

The strange creature burst out of the undergrowth. Vitani had never seen a wolf before, but she could tell that it was hungry. It looked around, sniffing the air, and then its eyes locked onto her. Vitani stood up, trying to make herself look as big as possible. She hissed at the wolf, baring her impressive teeth. She could take it. But then, two more wolfs bounded out of the shadows, and suddenly Vitani felt a lot less confident.

"Hi," she said, hoping they would leave her alone. The wolves glanced at each other, and seemed to talk amongst themselves, but Vitani couldn't understand them. She started to back away, but the wolves noticed, and snarled at her. Giving up all hope that they would let her go peacefully, Vitani turned and ran.

Luckily, Vitani was faster than the wolves. She ran towards the Pridelands, hoping that they would get distracted by antelope or wildebeest. When she reached the Pridelands she suddenly remembered that the fire had chased a lot of prey away. She darted through the devastated landscape, trying to reach Pride Rock. She wasn't sure what would happen when she got there, but she hoped the Pridelanders would chase the wolves away, while she escaped.

However, as Vitani started to near Pride Rock, she started to slow down. She was extremely tired, as she hadn't had any sleep that night. She ran onwards, knowing she was almost there. She leapt up onto the rocks, and scrabbled up towards the top. She glanced into the cave, but all the Pridelanders were asleep.

"Kiara!" she hissed into the cave, before leaping backwards as the wolves appeared on the rock. She slowly edged backwards, until she reached the edge of Pride Rock. She took a quick look down at the ground. She could try jumping, but if she got injured and was unable to run away... Vitani sighed. She was stuck.

Then she heard footsteps. Glancing up, she saw Kiara walk slowly out of the cave, yawning. Then she spotted the wolves, and froze. All the wolves looked at Kiara, and Vitani took advantage of their momentary distraction to tackle one, knocking it off Pride Rock. Now things were more equal. Vitani leapt at another wolf, and after a moment's hesitation, Kiara jumped at the other one.

Vitani lunged for the wolf's throat, but it knocked her back. Snarling, she jumped at the wolf again, knocking it into the other wolf. Vitani sprang forward for one last time, and knocked both of the wolves off Pride Rock. Panting slightly she turned to Kiara.

"I see you escaped the fire unharmed," she said.

"Yes, I did. What was the fire about anyway?" asked Kiara.

"One of Zira's plans to kill you," said Vitani quietly.

"What!" said Kiara, shocked.

"Keep it down," hissed Vitani. "Listen, it was great to see you but I've got to find somewhere to stay."

"What? What happened?"

"Zira exiled me."

"Are you ok?" asked Kiara. Vitani nodded. Kiara tilted her head to the side, she could hear noises coming from inside the cave.

"I have to go now, before they wake up," said Vitani, and she turned to go.

"I hope I see you soon," said Kiara. Vitani slipped away quietly, and Kiara sat on Pride Rock, watching her run through the grass.


	9. Chapter 9

**Yes, I've finally written some more! I know it's late but in my defence I was ill a lot, plus I had loads of exams... Either way, hope you enjoy the chapter and this is the last chapter too, so reviews are really appreciated. I'd like to thank everyone who has reviewed, alerted, favourite or just read it, thanks everyone! Just for clarification, in the last chapter, the wolves were Ethiopian wolves, the only wolf species native to Africa. **

**And I just realised that on chapter 7 I recommended a forum, but the name didn't show up. It's called fanbbs(dot)net**

**I do not own the Lion King**

Chapter 9

Vitani ran away from Pride Rock, desperately trying to work out where she was going to stay now. She couldn't stay in the Outlands, Zira had made it very clear she wasn't wanted there. However, she couldn't stay in the Pridelands, as the Pridelanders wouldn't accept her either. She looked ahead for some sort of shelter to stay in, but all she could see was a small group of rocks. Vitani was exhausted from running from the wolves, so this would have to do. The lioness hurried over to the rocks, and curled up beneath them. She instantly fell asleep.

~##~

When she woke up the sun was high in the sky. Vitani quickly got up, and set off away from Pride Rock. She hurried past a herd of wildebeest, who glared at her. She increased her speed, because if one of the wildebeest decided she was a threat, they would be able to kill her with a decent kick or head butt. Vitani soon reached the gorge, and decided this would be a good place to stop. As far as she knew, Simba had a great dislike of the gorge, and would avoid it. As for the rest of the lionesses, Vitani would be able deal with a couple of them. Besides, there wasn't much reason for them to go to the gorge, as all of the main prey was grazing on the grasslands.

The young lioness skilfully made her way up the side of the gorge, stopping to catch a couple of mice on the way up. She reached a small cave and, upon inspecting it, decided that it would do for her new home. By now the sun was about to start setting, and Vitani spent the remainder of the day exploring the area around her cave, since it would be useful to know how to make a speedy escape if necessary.

~##~

Kiara woke up the next morning to an exclamation of surprise from Nala. She hastily got up and hurried to her mother's side.

"What happened?" she asked, sleepily.

"That's what I'd like to know," replied Nala, gesturing to the surface of Pride Rock. Kiara looked at it, and saw that it was covered in scratches from the fight of the previous night.

"Where did they all come from" Nala asked. Simba walked out of the cave and looked curiously at the marks.

"How come we didn't hear it?" he asked.

"Well, I think I heard noises in the night," said Nala. She bent her head and sniffed at the scratches. "That smells odd." Kiara turned and left, leaving her parents to puzzle over the strange scented scratches.

Kiara walked aimlessly around the Pridelands, until a terrible smell filled her nose. She blinked to focus her eyes, and found that she had wandered to the edge of the area that had been utterly destroyed by the fire. She felt a sort of horror staring at the blackened and scorched ground. Who knows how many had died in that fire? And Kiara knew that she was supposed to die in that fire. How far would the Outlanders go to kill her? Kiara felt herself filling with fear, but also anger. _How _dare_ they set fire to my kingdom? _She thought furiously.

Sighing, she turned away. There was nothing she could do at that moment, and if she was going to do anything, she would need the support of the pride, which would probably turn into a full-out war. If there was one thing she wanted to prevent, it was that.

Kiara decided to try and find Vitani, and she headed in the direction she had seen her friend going. She sniffed the ground, trying to catch the scent. She had just picked up the scent when she heard roaring coming from Pride Rock. The princess spun round, and started running towards Pride Rock. As she started to near it, she see the entire pride, lead by Simba and Nala, charging down Pride Rock and towards the Outlands. Kiara called out, and one of the lionesses at the back heard her, and stopped.

"What's going on? Where is everyone going?" asked Kiara.

"The Outlanders are on the move, they're attacking!" replied the lioness.

"Everyone was going to fight without me? Without even telling me what's going on?" Kiara asked, irritated.

"We had no time to waste, we didn't know when you'd be back. And I believe the King wants you to stay here." With this last remark the lioness turned to join the rest of the pride.

"I'm not a child anymore!" Kiara roared after them, but they were too far away to hear.

Kiara knew that her father would not allow her to follow the pride, but she couldn't just sit around. The Outlanders were very strong and desperate, not to mention the fact that they had been training for this battle. _I have to stop them_, thought Kiara, _but how? I can't do it by myself, but who could help me? _The answer came instantly to Kiara. She took one last look at the pride in the distance, and started to run through the rain which was starting to come down in torrents.

~##~

Vitani was napping in her cave, ignoring the dam in the river which was threatening to break and potentially wash her away. She wasn't particularly tired, the lioness was only sleeping because of a lack of things to do. So when she heard footsteps, she immediately leapt to her feet, hoping that something exciting was going to happen.

"Vitani!" called Kiara, sounding out of breath. "Where are you?" Vitani got up and looked up. Kiara was running along the top of the gorge, searching for her.

"Down here, Kiara." Kiara whirled round, seeking the source of the voice. She caught sight of Vitani, and Vitani's grin vanished. She could tell something was wrong.

"The Outlanders are attacking!" cried Kiara, and Vitani started to climb up to Kiara. She was soon standing beside her old friend. "We have to stop them!"

Vitani nodded. The sounds of roaring and cries of pain coming from the other side of the gorge caught their attention. The only way across the gorge was the dam. The two lionesses ran across the dam, Vitani trying to ignore the mutters of "I'm going to die" coming from Kiara. However Kiara was proved wrong and the friends made it safely across the dam. Vitani swiftly examined the fight. The Outsiders were winning, she could see that, but now the fight was slowing down, Simba and Kovu were circling each other. Just as they were about to strike, Kiara and Vitani leapt between them.

"Kiara! I thought I told you to stay at Pride Rock!" cried Simba in surprise.

"Get out of my way, traitor," hissed Kovu. Vitani ignored him.

"Daddy this has to stop," said Kiara, a serious expression on her face. "A wise king once told me, we are one. I didn't understand him then, now I do."

"But-they-" protested Simba.

"Them? Us? Look at them. They are us. What differences do you see?" asked Kiara. Vitani glanced around, the lionesses seemed to be listening.

"Kiara is right," said Vitani. Zira opened her mouth to answer, but Vitani cut her off. "And you mother, have spread quite enough lies. The Pridelanders aren't evil. They are just like us. Only your stubbornness had exiled us to the Outlands." Vitani looked hopefully at the Outlanders who had been her friends. They exchanged looks, and came to stand beside Vitani.

Vitani looked at Kovu expectantly. He raised his eyebrows, to say _what?_ Vitani rolled her eyes, saying _you know what._ Kovu sighed slightly, and stood beside Vitani. Kiara stepped towards Zira.

"Come on Zira. Join us," she said, gently.

"Never!" Vitani saw Zira's muscles tighten, ready to spring at Kiara, and knock her into the gorge. Just as Zira started to leap, Vitani knocked her down. "Pathetic traitor! Are you going to kill me like you killed Nuka?"

"That wasn't my fault!" hissed Vitani. "The only one to blame is you, for sending him on that mission."

"No! No, it was you! I didn't kill him!" protested Zira.

"Denial doesn't suit you mother," said Kovu, coming up beside Vitani, smirking slightly. Zira snarled furiously, and threw Vitani off. Zira spat at Simba, but she knew that she was outnumbered, and with one last growl, she ran away from the lions, along the edge of the gorge. The dam broke, and the torrent of water raced down the gorge, obliterating anything in its way.

"She shouldn't be going that fast. It's too wet and slippery," Vitani muttered. Suddenly, Zira slipped, and tumbled off the edge of the gorge, into the raging water. All the lions ran to the edge of the gorge, and looked. Zira's head broke the surface once, but then she was gone.

~##~

Vitani and Kiara were lying on a rock near the watering hole, soaking up the sun's rays.

"Everything worked out rather well, don't you think?" said Vitani, yawning.

"Definitely," said Kiara, smiling. Vitani's ears twitched, and a smirk slid onto her face.

"Hello Kovu," she said.

"How d'you know I was there?" Kovu asked, standing up from where he was hiding behind the rock that they were on. Kiara was so surprised she fell off the rock.

"You may beat me in brute strength, dear brother, but I beat you in everything else. I could hear you crashing around."

Kiara got up, shaking the grass off her back.

"Stop sneaking up on me!" she said.

"But I love sneaking up on you, honey," said Kovu, smirking. Kiara smiled shyly.

"I'll leave you two lovers in peace shall I?" teased Vitani, getting up and stretching. She slipped off, laughing at Kiara's feeble protests. "Deny it all you want," called Vitani. "I know the truth!"

**Wow. It's over. My first ever fanfiction is finished. So, did you guys like the end? Please review!**


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